Mobile radio access network, mobility control unit, method for charging in a mobile radio access network, and program

Abstract

A mobile radio access network includes a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least a first cell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells including at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells including open cells; and a charging unit, configured to receive cell information corresponding to at least one subscriber out of a plurality of subscribers, wherein the cell information is dependent on whether the subscriber has entered, left, or accessed a radio cell of the first tell type.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile radio access network, comprising:
 a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least a first cell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells being at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells being open cells; and 
 a charging unit, configured to receive cell information corresponding to at least one subscriber out of a plurality of subscribers, wherein the cell information is dependent on whether the subscriber has entered, left, or accessed a radio cell of the first cell type; 
 wherein a transmission of the cell information to the charging unit occurs or not at the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the radio cell of the first type; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the CSG cell, a CSG part of the hybrid cell, or an open part of the hybrid cell; 
 wherein a first information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG cell; 
 wherein a second information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG part of the hybrid cell; and 
 wherein a third information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the open part of the hybrid cell. 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile radio access network comprises:
 a database, the database comprising the first information, the second information, and the third information. 
 
     
     
       3. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 1 , wherein the charging unit is configured to receive the cell information further dependent on at least one of:
 cell identification information of the radio cells of the first cell type being at least one CSG cell or at least one hybrid cell; 
 the at least one subscriber; and 
 an Access Point Name (APN) used by the at least one subscriber. 
 
     
     
       4. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mobility control unit for differentiated charging in the mobile radio access network, configured to generate and transmit the cell information towards the charging unit; 
 wherein the mobility control unit is one of a MSC unit (Mobile Switching Center unit), SGSN unit (Serving GPRS Support Node) and a MME unit (Mobility Management Entity unit). 
 
     
     
       5. A mobile radio access network, comprising:
 a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least a first cell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells being at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells being open cells; 
 a charging unit, configured to receive cell information corresponding to at least one subscriber out of a plurality of subscribers, wherein the cell information is dependent on whether the subscriber has entered, left, or accessed a radio cell of the first cell type; 
 wherein the plurality of radio cells comprise the hybrid cell; 
 wherein a transmission of the cell information to the charging unit occurs or not at the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the hybrid cell; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing a CSG part of the hybrid cell or an open part of the cell; 
 wherein a first information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG part of the hybrid cell; and 
 wherein a second information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the open part of the hybrid cell. 
 
     
     
       6. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 5 , wherein the mobile radio access network comprises:
 a database, the database comprising the first information and the second information. 
 
     
     
       7. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 5 , wherein the charging unit is configured to receive the cell information further dependent on at least one of:
 cell identification information of the radio cells of the first cell type being at least one CSG cell or at least one hybrid cell; 
 the at least one subscriber; and 
 an Access Point Name (APN) used by the at least one subscriber. 
 
     
     
       8. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 5 , wherein the mobile radio access network further comprises:
 a database, the database comprising: cell identification information of the radio cells of the first cell type being at least one CSG-cell or at least one hybrid cell, and an Access Point Name (APN). 
 
     
     
       9. The mobile radio access network according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a mobility control unit for differentiated charging in the mobile radio access network, configured to generate and transmit the cell information towards the charging unit; 
 wherein the mobility control unit is one of a MSC unit (Mobile Switching Center unit), SGSN unit (Serving GPRS Support Node) and a MME unit (Mobility Management Entity unit). 
 
     
     
       10. A method for differentiated charging in a mobile radio access network, the method comprising the steps of:
 transmitting cell information to a charging unit, wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing a radio cell of a first cell type; 
 wherein the mobile radio access network comprises:
 a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least the first cell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells being at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells being open cells; and 
 the charging unit; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information to the charging unit occurs or not at the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the radio cell of the first type; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the CSG cell, a CSG part of the hybrid cell, or an open part of the hybrid cell; 
 wherein a first information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG cell; 
 wherein a second information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG part of the hybrid cell; and 
 wherein a third information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the open part of the hybrid cell. 
 
 
     
     
       11. A method for differentiated charging in a mobile radio access network, the method comprising the steps of:
 transmitting cell information to a charging unit, wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing a radio cell of a first cell type; 
 wherein the mobile radio access network comprises:
 a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least the first cell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells being at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells being open cells; and 
 the charging unit; 
 wherein the plurality of radio cells comprise the hybrid cell; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information to the charging unit occurs not at the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the hybrid cell; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing a CSG part of the hybrid cell or an open part of the hybrid cell; 
 wherein a first information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG part of the hybrid cell; and 
 wherein a second information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the open part of the hybrid cell. 
 
 
     
     
       12. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for differentiated charging in a mobile radio access network, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 instructions for transmitting cell information to a charging unit of the mobile radio access network, wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing a radio cell of a first cell type; 
 wherein the mobile radio access network comprises:
 a plurality of radio cells, the plurality of radio cells comprising at least the first tell type of radio cells and a second cell type of radio cells, the first cell type of radio cells being at least one of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell and a hybrid cell, and the second cell type of radio cells being open cells; and 
 the charging unit; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information to the charging unit occurs or not at the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the radio cell of the first type; 
 wherein the transmission of the cell information depends on the at least one subscriber entering, leaving, or accessing the CSG cell, a CSG part of the hybrid cell, or an open part of the hybrid cell; 
 wherein a first information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG cell; 
 wherein a second information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the CSG part of the hybrid cell; and 
 wherein a third information indicates whether the cell information is to be transmitted or not to the charging unit in the case that the at least one subscriber enters, leaves, or accesses the open part of the hybrid cell.